SMALL GARDEN, big rewards
GARDEN#1
EVERY CENTIMETRE COUNTS
When Hanniki Bruère swapped her large garden in Riebeek-Kasteel for a much smaller erf in Napier two years ago, her beloved garden décor and many of her plants went with her.
The first time I came to see my new home, I thought this garden was way too small for me,” says Hanniki. “But after a while I realised how many benefits a smaller garden offers.
“I carefully planned where every pot and piece of décor would be placed, and what I would have to change to accommodate everything. I wanted to find a spot for every single item I brought with me.
“I think ‘the more, the better’! But I must admit, I was a little over-optimistic and had to dispose of six large pots, two statues and a bench. There was simply no room.
“People may think a small garden is less work but don’t believe it – especially not in the beginning. During the first two months after I moved in, I worked myself into a standstill. I wanted to get my guesthouse, The Victorian Cow, up and running as soon as possible and had to get my store back on its feet,” she explains. “About a month after I arrived, I managed to accommodate my first overnight guests.”
When Hanniki moved to the Overberg, she found that the garden had been sorely neglected and some of the shrubs were dying. The lemon tree, rosemary
